Archives
Of old and new
Grandad and Jack 
Gardening
I am an unashamed hoarder, and this weekend showed the benefits of my much maligned obsession. Whilst his Mummy worked Jack helped Nanny and Grandad in the garden. A quick foray in my shed uncovered a tipper truck that son had 25 years ago, a little grubby and battered, but still in working order, and certainly capable of transporting twigs, and a lawnmower that Jack's Mummy had 21 years ago, also still working, right down to the sound effects. Overjoyed with the rediscovery of these treasures I ventured into the hedge where I remembered camouflaging a mini trampoline. There it was, covered in bird droppings, paint peeling off, but elastic webbing still whole, and, when I gingerly stepped on, capable of supporting my weight. Now, somewhere is a sandpit...............
Tomorrow I go away for 3 days, and when I went into town today the market was on, where I saw just the right sized little case. As I stood contemplating another customer asked the price '£8'. Before I bought it I went off to do my shopping. When I got back the stall-holder came up and I said I'd buy one, '£10' he says. 'Mais non, c'est huit' I replied. He looked confused. I explained that I had heard him quote £8 for the item so assumed that I must be at a market abroad where haggling was called for. My warped sense of humour paid off, I got it for £7. It's a good little case, but smells of solvent.
My hunt for a new job may become more urgent after Thursday. The Trust Board and managers are off on an awayday (their expression) to discuss the budget crisis, community midwifery alone has to save £40,000 this year, I see job losses coming.
This is what happens when your boiled egg is not quite cooked, so you put it in the microwave
Disappearing BIL
Went off to Birmingham, Primary Care Conference, with job-share. First day, interesting, good speakers and thought provoking topics - home v hospital birth, art of breech birth v breech delivery, huge exhibition with plenty of scope for freebies, and bumping into long, lost colleagues. That night went down for dinner, waiting for table and got chatting to sales rep (female) who was there alone, so we invited her to share our table, which she did, and paid for half our dinners on her expences. Then it all went wrong. I came down with a particularly nasty GI bug which saw me spending the rest of the night and day in the hotel bathroom. I was so bad that my colleague had to drive my car back whilst I sat next to her on plastic sheeting, with a 'sharps' bucket on my knees. Made it home without incident.
Up and about today, still slightly woozy from lack of food, and I attempted to read BIL's blog. No where to be found. Any comments he has ever made on my blog now read 'anonymous'. Slightly anxious, phoned him, voice mail, phoned Sister, niece answered ' Mum's not here, don't know where she is, yes Ian is OK..... now.' Phoned my Sister, they have gone away, together, for the weekend. Ian is in fine fettle, apparently his blog was deleted, by him, in a fit if picque as a result of my sister not being happy about an entry he had made. So, not only did I miss a day of my conference, but I will never know what Ian wrote that so annoyed my sister, unless I manage to get one or the other of them drunk.
48 hours
Yet another example of poor communication within large organisations. Still feeling slightly dodgy, I have a lot of sympathy with the Spurs team, I phoned work to say I wouldn't be back in the morning, but I thought I could work the afternoon. I was put firmly in my place and was told that there was a strict ruling that following GI illness staff may not return to work for 48 hours following the last episode. How interesting, usually in these cases we co-ordinate with our manager, and she has never mentioned this ruling, speak to someone from a different area, who also happens to be Risk Manager, and you are given 'new' information. I checked with her that this applies to all staff, and was assured that this is the case, and has been for 2 years!
I read Mr Hoverfrog's blog and know exactly what he means, 20 six has changed, the community seems to have fragmented. It's the threatened changes that have caused it, but they haven't happened, how terrible is that? It's strange really, I didn't start my blog with any intention other than keeping an on-line diary. I was entering a new era, becoming a Grandparent, and I wanted to keep a record of the huge changes that were happening within the family, and also, as a midwife it was a strange time for me, having a daughter who was pregnant, basically I needed to unload. I was aware that it would be read by other people but I hadn't really thought how important the comments, support, whatever would be. Reading through it is also a record of the initially gradual, but now horrifically rapid, the decline has been in my sector of the NHS. Who knows, I may be quoted by historians in future years when they write about the elements that lead to the disintegration of our Health Service.
Amy is one year old in a week. Big party (another one) on Sunday, all the relatives and friends in attendance, I fear for my carpets, please let it be good weather!
Amy is now a year old and last Sunday we had the celebrations. Following tradition the venue was our house, I am still giving thanks for the rain holding off so that it could be held in the garden. To be on the safe side we had three large gazebos, we could have done with patio heaters, but people seemed to enjoy it, we had to evict the last revellers at 10pm, poor old souls that we are.
Tuesday saw the emergency community midwives meeting. Things are bad. Just our little section has to make £50,000 savings this year, the main thrust appears to be by reducing the number of visits we make following the birth, setting up 'drop in' clinics so that women with problems can come and see us. I can picture it now, 4 days after having a caesarian section, a woman with breastfeeding problems, possibly with twins, or a toddler in tow, gets into the car and comes to see us.....somewhere (venues to be decided), you don't need a crystal ball to predict that this strategy is not going to be entirely successful. Whilst this reduction in the community service is being planned we are advised by the government that more women should be having home births. HELP. Please, will someone wake me from this nightmare that my job has become. I want to just switch the whole insane situation off and rewind to a time when politicians kept out of things that they do not understand. Advisers are no f*****g use, they are not there, on the ground, attempting to deliver (tee hee) the services, how can they possibly hope to understand the REAL requirements. So now we are encouraged to increase the homebirth rate. No more equipment, we have to fundraise to provide us with the resuscitation equipment that we have to have at a homebirth! Feeling safe, you really shouldn't be. Case in point this week. I'm first on-call, homebirths and obstetric EMERGENCIES, I have no equipment though because it is already in use at a homebirth, luckily I wasn't needed, you have have known if I was though as the failure of the service would have been plastered all over the news. For too long workers in the Health Service have papered over the cracks, I'm getting to the point where I can't do it any longer. Perhaps it's our fault that the government seem to be impervious to the serious state of affairs, we have done too good a job at 'making do', they really can't see that the whole system is on the verge of imploding. Whatever the government may say about there being more midwives, we don't see them, they must be invisible. Anyway, back to the meeting, three managers are also going, will midwives take their place, will the funding be used for equipment? No. The monies will be used paying back the overspend and fine from last year. I wish I could really communicate the absolute frustration and despair I feel at this time, if only I could just turn by back on the whole suppurating sore, I can't though so I will just have to carry on bailing the water out of the sinking ship that has imprisoned me.
Hand, foot and mouth
Amy and her Mummy both have this horrifying sounding illness, but apart from looking unclean around their mouths and having lumpy hands and feet, they are both fine, now. A few days ago they were both poorly with sore throats, stiff necks and high temperatures, luckily that only lasted a couple of days. Daughter reports that the spots, like mini chicken-pox, are sore and that her hands and feet feel sensitive but she looks far worse than she feels. Amy was reluctant to eat anything other than very mushy stuff, we took that to indicate that her mouth and tongue were uncomfortable, but she is now back to being the food hoover that she is usually.
Hubby and I are thinking about a holiday, 2 weeks away, in the sun, relaxing. Now comes the difficult bit though, choosing it. We have certain criteria, Hubby will only fly from Luton and the flight has to be less than 4 hours. I want air-conditioning and somewhere without a kids club. I know I sound like a grumpy old woman but I think that having served my time with children, and continuing to do so at least 2 days per week, I deserve a break from little people. Anyway, Bulgaria is topping our list of possible destinations at the moment.
Work is becoming farcical. We had another meeting yesterday where I found it difficult to take anything seriously, how can things have got to this point? Are we seriously considering providing a level of 'care' ( I use the word loosly ) that would, a few months ago, have been considered negligent? Yes, but its OK because the Trust Boards have told us to. I could into the ramifications of this viz a vie a midwives status as an autonomous practioner and how concerned I am that I am failing to adhere to my Rules and code of practice 'Must make sure that the needs of the woman or baby are the primary focus of her practice', but the words head, brick and wall spring to mind.
Interesting homebirth looming, the baby is breech, but Mum is refusing to come in to hospital for the birth. Independent Midwives have been contacted but they are booked for the time baby will be exiting, so we will in attendance. It is so rare now to see a breech birth that we are all half wanting to be the on-call midwife and half praying it doesn't happen when our name is on the board.
Exciting Times
So, the new platform will be here next weekend, how brilliant is that? I don't know, is it good? I'm just being really positive, about everything. The sun was shining today. Hubby mended the double buggy, so hopefully it won't keep folding up whilst Jack and Amy are in it, sounds funny, looks even funnier but I suspect it might be a trifle uncomfortable for the babes. Was becoming obsessive about my mobile phone, I was connecting, via bluetooth, with anyone who would consent, but however we tried to relay 'Crazy' to my phone, it just wouldn't work. I even went as far as to download to my computer, copy to my PDA and then beam via infrared, still no joy. Every cloud though, went into town to buy milk and saw that CPW was open, so went in and had lovely long chat with helpful young lad. He had only been there 2 weeks so we explored my phone together, he even tried to beam from his phone to mine. Eventually he offered me an upgrade, for £30, I hesitated and said I would think about it. Best decision yet. Half an hour after I got home he rang me and said I could have it for £10, yes, yes, result. I am going in to see him tomorrow. All in all, apart from not being able to cut the grass 'cos its waterlogged, today has been a class A and to cap it off this evening we are going to new Indian restaurant in nearby town, comes highly recommended.